PERSONALHe was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba and came to the United States at the age of 9. He received his elementary, middle and high school education through the public school system of Miami-Dade County, Florida graduating from Miami Senior High School in 1971. He married his college (FTU/UCF) sweetheart, attorney Ana Tangel-Rodriguez (FSU Law ’78) and they have two grown children.

EDUCATIONALHe graduated from Miami Senior High School in 1971. In 1972, just one year after graduating from high school, he received an Associate of Arts degree cum laude from Miami-Dade Community College, North Campus. A Bachelor of Arts degree was awarded cum laude from the University of Central Florida in 1974 (back then – Florida Technological University). He attended the Florida State University College of Law where he earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1977.

PROFESSIONAL, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, AND LEADERSHIPJose R. Rodriguez has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Central Florida, has been a faculty member of the Florida Judicial College, the Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies (serving as part of the team teaching the Juvenile Track - May of 2005 and June of 2012) and lecturer at the Circuit and County Judges’ educational conferences. He serves as the Juvenile Education Track-Lead for the Florida Conference of Circuit Judge which plans and produces the future educational curriculum to be delivered for Continuing Judicial Education credit. He was invited to present as a faculty member of the “Dealing with Differences” diversity workshop of Florida College of Advanced Judicial Studies in May of 2007. He has been certified as a judicial instructor since 1991. He served frequently as a panelist at the Juvenile & Family Drug Court National Training Conference of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. READ MORE.